Grigorenko gained
celebrity in 2009, when he represented Russia in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial
Tournament at the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. In 21 games played for
CSKA (Central Sports Club of the Army) Moscow, Grigorenko scored 19 goals with
25 assists. He also had 6 goals and 6 assists over six games at the Russian Under-17
Championships.

In the 2010-2011
season, Grigorenko played for CSKA-Red Army Moscow in Russia's Minor Hockey
League, in which, over 43 games, he scored 17 goals and with 18 assists.

Grigorenko
went on to play for Russia at the 2010 World Junior A Challenge, scoring 3
goals and adding 3 assists. Grigorenko also played for Russia at the 2011 Under-18
World Junior Championship, helping his squad capture the bronze medal.

In 2011, Grigorenko
was drafted by the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
(QMJHL) in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). He was hand-picked by the owner of
the Remparts, Patrick Roy, who happened to be a big fan of Grigorenko. During
his first season in North America, Grigorenko played in 59 games, recording 40
goals and adding 45 assists for a total of 85 points.

In addition to his
outstanding season with the Remparts, Grigorenko also represented Russia at the
2012 Under-20 World Junior Championships, where his team
won silver.

In his own words, Mikhail Grigorenko’s goal in the
NHL is to learn the North American style of play.

In his own words

About his attitude

“When I'm on the ice,
I'm just playing hockey. Maybe after the game, off the ice, I'll sometimes
think about the rankings. But it's something that's not so important.”

About his mom
“Sometimes after a bad game or something, my mom
hugs me and says nice things to me. It's really good for me.”

Famous for

Prospects as top professional

Grigorenko was nominated as
the top professional prospect to play in the QMJHL during the 2011–12 season. Grigorenko
was the third-ranked North American skater in the final Central Scouting
rankings, prior to the 2012 NHL draft. He has also been nominated for the personality
of the year award and the offensive rookie of the year award. As an offensive
player, Grigorenko has had to play through a lot of injuries and has proven to
be adept at overcoming adversity.

Personal

Lives with mother

Grigorenko’s mother has
been with him all season. They currently live together in an apartment in
Quebec City. His older brother Yuri is also a hockey player, who has played in
Russia and Belarus for five seasons. Upon arrival in Canada, Mikhail Grigorenko
understood neither English nor French. However, after taking language classes
five days a week for a year, Grigorenko became skilled enough to speak English
without a translator.